Crimper



M h s, 1938. 3 E, SEEMEL 2,110,685

CRIMPER Filed July 2, 19154 2 Sh'eets-Sheei l 37 36 2 -63 INVENTOR Q ,M-r

ATTORNEYS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v I i-w llm. IEILIg EiMW m 1. I .I... U

INVEN 6R M2 BY 9 54 MTW" ATTORNEY S B. E. SEEMEL March 8, 1938.

CRIMPER Filed July 2, 1934 tion of the machine.

Patented Mar. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECE ORIMPER Bruno E. Sce rnel, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Automatic Coinwrapping Machine Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 2, 1934, Serial No. 733,359

11 Claims. (Cl. 93-5) to a larger scale, to illustrate particularly my improved crimper head. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the upper portion of Fig. 1 illustrating the crimping operation. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section about on the line IV-IV of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section about on the line V-V of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is an elevation, partly in section, looking from the left of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is an elevation and Fig. 8 is: a plan View of my improved. crimper head.

The crimper head i is arranged to be reciprocated toward and from the coin rolls as these are held by the carrier 3. The carrier is provided with a number of pockets 4 (in the present instance, six pockets) to receive the coin rolls (one roll per pocket), and is movable in such a manner as to carry the pockets substantially successively to the crimping station position of Z in Fig. 1, whereat the crimping is done. Preferably it is mounted for rotation about an axis 3'! for this purpose. The carrier is so disposed that at least one pocket is exposed for hand feeding at what may be called the loading station (at the left hand side in Figs. 1 and 4). Preferably too the carrier is moved intermittently, step by step in carrying the pockets from the loading station to the crimping station; as a result the empty pockets are held at rest momentarily at the exposed position for ready loading and also the crimping mechanism is thereby permitted to be simpler than it would be if the crimping were done while the carrier is in motion. As appears at 2 in Fig. l, the work to be handled by the machine illustrated comprises coin-filled paper tubes, the tubes being crimped previously at their bottom ends (on which they rest in the carrier) and projecting somewhat above the coin stack at their upper ends for crimping in the present machine (as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 1). The associatcd mechanism hereafter described drives the carrier and also reciprocates the crimper head, so that the two operate in proper time relation. Arrangements can be made for the automatic discharge of the crimped rolls from the carrier; e. g., by arranging for the fall of each crimped roll from its pocket as the pocket returns from the crimping station to the loading station as later described.

Broadly speaking, the crimper head I may be of any type suitable for the purpose. For example, it can be that rotary crimper head heretofore commonly used which comprises a simple cylinder 8 to closely encompass the end of the wrapping, one or two crimper members each having a curved under surface to receive the edge My invention relates to crimping the ends of paper wrappings or tubes for rolls of coins and other cylindrical objects. Primarily it provides a device capable of crimping rapidly, securely and uniformly,

It relates especially however to devices for crimping filled coin containers fed to it by hand, and from this aspect it comprises a crimper head, a carrier adapted to receive the filled container from the hand of the operator and present the same to the crimper head, and associated mechanism to operate the carrier and the crimper head and to operate these parts in proper time relations. Preferably too the arrangement is such that the whole operates at whatever rate the operator is able to handle the containers. The carrier servesseveral purposes. First, it relieves the operator of the duty of holding each article of the work during the actual crimpingoperation, thus saving possible injury to his hands and enabling him to devote his time to feeding and any other operations that he may be called on to perform simultaneously; second, in its preferred form, it enables crimping to be done simultaneously with feeding, neither of these operations therefore delaying performance of the other; third, it places each and every article in the proper position with respect to the crimper head and permits the use of a device that holds each package securely against rotation during crimping, thus assuring proper crimping in all cases.

Preferably the arrangement is such that the carrier holds the package at rest at the crimping station and the crimper' head is brought to the package to make the crimp. Further my invention comprehends also an improved crimper head adapted to make a crimp faster than crimper heads heretofore used; while this part of my invention is adapted for use with machines wherein the package is held by hand conceivably, it is especially adapted to machines wherein the crimping is entirely a machine operation since it enables the crimping to be done at the higher rates of which complete machine operation is capable. Other features of my invention appear hereinafter. In these respects my invention is not limited to hand fed machines. Also my invention is not limited to containers for coins as will be apparent; but can be employed to crimp other containers and wrappers also.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of my invention as applied to a ma chine for crimping filled coin packages already crimped at one end. Fig. 1 is a sectional eleva- Fig. 2 is a detail, drawn of the paper and roll it back on itself internally of the wrapper (e. g., a wire or wires 9), and a bridge or cross bar 5 at the same end of the cylinder by means of which the cylinder is carried. A driven shaft iii connected to the bridge or cross bar 5 serves to support the crimper head and rotate it rapidly as the head is pressed against the roll or as the roll is pressed into the head. I have found however that these prior crimper heads are not capable of making as satisfactory crimps as I desire when pressed down against the tube end sufficiently rapidly to take full advantage of the high operating speed of which machines of my invention are capable; at least not unless the head is rotated at unnecessarily high speeds; and at such high rotary speeds there is some tendency for the crimper head to destroy the integrity of the paper. Preferably therefore I provide the crimper head with a circumferentially-long surface or a series. of surfaces I I curved upwardly and inwardly to engage the projecting end of the wrapper continuously or at many points around substantially the whole of its circumference, so that the end of the tube is engaged and turned inwardly at a corresponding number of the parts of its circumference rather than only at one or two points as heretofore. This or these surfaces Ii need not be shaped to turn the end of the tube back toward the opposite end of the roll (as do the crimper members 9) it is sufiicient if this or these surfaces iI will turn the tube end inwardly for, say, about as shown in Figs. 2 and 7. If the crimp is to be a rolled crimp as illustrated in Fig. l, a few crimper members. 9 (say, two) having wrapper-engaging surfaces suitably curved for this purpose as heretofore will suffice to turn the tube end back to effect the roll of the crimp. In so far as these surfaces of the crimper members 9 are co-extensive with the surface or surfaces I l the two may be at about the same level; usually however I set the crimper members 3 so that their working surfaces project a little from the surface or surfaces. II, i. e., are disposed to strike the end of the tube slightly in advance of the surface or surfaces I i. Preferably however the end of the tube is supported externally as by the internal cylindrical surface of the member 3 as before. Conveniently therefore the crimper head can consist, as shown, of a member 8 bored to closely encompass the end of the coin tube or wrapper, this encompassing internal cylindrical surface blending into the curved surface or surfaces I I (Figs. 2 and 7) and the member being slotted at 52, say at two diametrically opposite points, to receive the crimping members ii which may be like those heretofore employed. Preferably one or two holes. I3 are provided (Figs. '7 and 8) to permit the escape of any fibers that may be worn from the wrappings or tubes during the crimping operations.

In order that the crimper head I may reciprocate toward and from the carrier 3, its supportand driving shaft is mounted in a crimper frame 2! which, in turn, is mounted for reciprocation the machine frame .23. Preferably it is siidingly mounted on the rotating shaft 22 which serves to rotate the shaft ill; the upper and lower ends of the shaft 22 may be supported by upper and lower parts of the machine frame 23, and have fastened to its upper end a sleeve 24 with which a gear 25 is slidingly keyed, the latter gear meshing with a gear 26 fastened to the crimper shaft it. The shaft 22 may be driven continuously, say by a motor 2? carried by the machine frame; thus the crimper head I isrotated continuously and a crimp can be made by simply pressing the crimper head to a tube. The crimper frame 2i is supported vertically and reciprocated by mechanism including the connecting links 28 as later described in more detail.

Preferably the carrier 3 consists of a disc-like member, the pockets 4 (of suitable size and shape in cross section to receive the coin rolls standing on end) are pierced completely through it, and the carrier rests against a frame plate 34 which thus serves to close the pocket bottoms and provide a support for the rolls during crimping; this permits ready discharge of the rolls after crimping, the plate 34 being cut away at some point 35 traveled by the pockets in returning from the crimping station to the loading station, say at a point where the pockets come to rest momentarily due to the intermittent movement of the carrier; the rolls are thrust from the carrier through this cut; if the carrier and plate 34 are substantially horizontal, gravity will serve to discharge the rolls. A chute 33 below the cut 35 will serve to direct the rolls to a receptacle. The periphery of the carrier disc 3 is pierced opposite each of the pockets, as illustrated at 32, in order that the clamp 33 may engage the rolls to keep the same from turning during the crimping operation as later described. The carrier 3 is driven by its shaft 31.

Preferably all the operations are controlled by a single cam shaft or controlling shaft 38. Also, preferably, the operation of the machine is put under the control of the operator so that he may advance the carrier 3 as rapidly or as slowly as he may wish. To these ends the driving shaft 22 drives a single-turn clutch 39, mounted on shaft 38, through the worm 4i) and worm wheel 4|; the latter is rotatably mounted on the cam shaft 38 but is adapted to be engaged with the shaft by the clutch. This clutch is controlled by a link 42, connected say to a foot pedal through the link 43; single-turn clutches are well known, and no description of that here employed is needed therefore; as the operator depresses the foot pedal and link 43, the clutch operates to-engage the worm wheel 4! to the cam shaft 38 for one complete revolution of the cam shaft and then break the driving connection again so that the cam shaft 38 comes to rest unless the operator has held the pedal down or depressed it for a second time. During a part of each complete revolution of the cam shaft 38 the latter turns the carrier 3 the angular distance separating two adjacent pockets, 1. e. one-sixth of a rotation in the present instance; this is effected by providing an intermittent gearing between the cam shaft 38 and a short parallel shaft 44 driving the carrier spindle 31 through the gears 45; preferably this gearing comprises locked intermittent gears 46 and 41 which will be understood from Figs. 5 and 6; cooperating toothed portions on these gears serve to turn the carrier 3 during a portion of each revolution of shaft 38 while cooperating curved blank portions thereon lock the carrier 3 during the remainder of each revolution with one pocket at the crimping station. Also, a cam 53 on the cam shaft 38 serves to reciprocate the crimper to bring the crimper to the roll while the carrier is at rest; for this purpose the crimper frame links 28 are connected to a cross head 54 sliding in the machine frame (Figs. 1 and 5) and provided with a follower roller 56 to engage the cam; since the shaft 38 and cam 53 are set to one side a lever 55 hinged at one end to the frame is interposed between the cross head 54 and the follower roller 56 (Figs. 1, 5 and 6). Preferably the crimper. head I is pressed to the tube or wrapping yieldingly rather than positively; preferably therefore the roller 56 simply supports the cross head and associated mechanism against'the cam, so that as the high point of the cam passes from beneath the roller the cross head and crimper can fall; gravity alone may serve to depress the crimper, but if necessary the weight of the parts can be supplemented by a spring 57 fastened at one end to the frame and at its other end connected to the cross head, say through the agency of an interposed lever as illustrated. As will be observed from Fig. 6, the intermittent gear 46 and the cam 53 are so associated that a new roll is brought to the crimping station while the crimper I is held elevated, but during the period wherein the carrier is locked at rest with a coin roll at the crimping station, the crimper I is reciprocated down against the end of the roll to form the crimp and then is lifted again away from the roll. The clamp 33 which serves to hold the roll against rotation during the action of the crimper I, may be a simple sliding member as illustrated, indented to somewhat span the roll and provided with teeth at its end to engage the outside of the roll; if necessary, teeth 59 may be provided at the wall of the pockets 4 of the carrier 3 to engage the opposite sides of the rolls from. the clamp 33 (Fig. 4). As shown in Fig. 1, the clamp 33 can be positioned to engage the rolls through the peripheral holes 32 in the carrier and thus compress the rolls against opposing walls of the carrier and against the teeth 53. Preferably the clamp 33 is actuated in a yielding manner; i. e. is moved to its clamping position by means of a spring 60 so that the clamp without change is adapted to operate the rolls of various diameters; one end of this spring being fixed to the frame, the other end can engage for example, a pin on the'lever Bl by which the clamp 33 is reciprocated. A face cam 62 on the cam shaft 38 is arranged to engage with the follower roll 63 on the lever 6| to withdraw the clamp 33 from each roll, say just after the crimper l is raised from a roll, and to allow the clamp spring 6|] to press the clamp 33 against the next roll just before the crimper comes down into engagement with the roll and while the crimper is acting.

The operation of the machine illustrated will be understood from the foregoing. In brief, the operator stands each tube of coins on its already crimped end in a pocket 4 of the carrier 3, resting on the frame plate 34. He then depresses his pedal, and consequently the carrier 3 is stepped around sufliciently to bring a new pocket, and presumably a coinroll, to the crimping station and then the carrier comes to rest. The clamp 33 then operates to press against the roll now at the crimping station, and the crimper I descends, rotating, makes the crimp and returns to its position in Fig. 1. As the result of the same movement of the carrier a roll previously finished was brought above the opening in the frame plate 34 and fell therethrough into the chute 36. The operator may depress the foot pedal as rapidly as he can feed rolls to the carrier; the operating rate depends therefore only on the handiness of the operator.

After rolls of one size of coin have been handled, rolls of another size can be handled by substituting another carrier plate 3 provided with pockets 4 suited to the .new size of coin, and by substituting a proper size of crimper l for the crimper previously used. Preferably, however, I

adapt the machine initially for handling a munber of sizes of coins by providing the crimper frame 2| with a corresponding number of crimper heads I, la, lb, etc., and by making the crimper frame rotatable at the will of the operator. The crimper heads can be mounted around the frame 2| as illustrated, each being supported and driven like the crimper head illustrated in section in Fig. l. The crimper frame 2! may be provided with indexing means whereby it can be locked with any one of the crimpers in position above the crimping station; for example, it may have a plurality of notches 68, one above each crimper, into which the latch 69 can enter. Thus, by simply lifting the latch 69 the crimper frame can be turned to bring another crimper Ia, lb or lo, etc. to operating position.

It will be understood of course that my invention is not limited to the details of construction and operation illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described above, except as appears hereinafter in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In crimping mechanism of the kind described, the combination of a crimper head, a carrier for the articles, said carrier having an upwardly and downwardly open pocket adapted to receive the articles by movement thereof in a path entirely above the bottom of the pocket and said carrier having a loading station whereat said pocket is exposed for hand loading, a fixed plate to close the bottom of the pocket and provide a support for an article in the pocket at said loading station and opposite said crimper head, the bottom of the pocket being open at another point to permit the discharge of a crimped article from the pocket, said carrier also being movable to carry the articles to be crimped along said plate from said loading station to position for crimping, and associated mechanism to operate the crimper head and the carrier.

2. In a crimping mechanism of the kind described, the combination of a continuously operable crimper head to inturn and crimp an end of the side wall of each article, a carrier for the articles, said carrier having a loading station whereat the carrier is exposed for hand loading and being movable to carry the articles to be crimped from said loading station to a crimping station adjacent said crimper head, and means operable by the operator each operation of which causes the crimper head to make one crimp and the carrier to advance a single definite step to bring an article to the crimping station, the advancement of the carrier another such step then awaiting another operation of said means by the operator.

3. In a crimping mechanism of the kind described, the combination of crimper means to inturn and crimp upon itself an end of the side wall of each article, a carrier provided with a plurality of pockets for the articles to be crimped, said carrier being exposed at a loading station for hand loading and said pockets being successively arranged in said carrier so that one pocket stands at said loading station for loading while another pocket stands at a crimping station adjacent said crimper means, power driven means to actuate said crimper means and to advance said carrier, and means operable by the operator each operation of which connects said powerdriven means to the carrier and crimping means to advance the carrier one definite step to bring an article to the crimping station and make one crimp, the advancement of the carrier another 4 such step then awaiting another operation of the last mentioned means by the operator.

4. In crimping mechanism, the combination of a rotary crimper head, means to rotate the crimper head continuously, a carrier having a loading station whereat the carrier is exposed for hand loading while the carrier is at rest and the crimper is making a crimp on an article previously fed to the carrier, said carrier being movable to carry the articles from the loading station to a crimping station, associated mechanism to move the crimper head to and from the articles at rest atthe crimping station to make the crimp, and to advance said carrier intermittently, and means controlling said associated mechanism actuatable by the operator each operation of which causes said associated mechanism to advance said carrier one definite step to bring an article to the crimping station and make one crimp, the advancement of the carrier another such step then awaiting another operation of said controlling means by the operator.

5. The subject matter of claim 4, characterized by the fact that the carrier is provided with a plurality of pockets wherein the articles are placed and are held while each is being crimped, and means are provided actuatable to clamp each article in its pocket to hold the same against rotation during the operation of the crimper head on the respective article.

6. In a crimping mechanism, a driving shaft, a crimper frame mounted and slidable on the driving shaft, a crimper head mounted in said crimper frame, means through which the driving shaft rotates the crimper head, a disc-like carrier having a loading station whereat the carrier is exposed for hand loading, means through which said driving shaft rotates said carrier intermittently through said loading station and a crimping station, and means to slide said crimper frame on the driving shaft to bring said crimper head into crimping engagement with an article at the crimping station to make a crimp while the car rier is at rest and to return the crimper head therefrom.

'7. The subject matter of claim 6, characterized by the fact that said crimper frame is provided with a plurality of crimper heads and is rotatable on said shaft to carry the various crimper heads to and from operating relation with the crimping station, and means are provided through which the driving shaft rotates each of said crimper heads when in operating position.

8. The subject matter of claim 6, characterized by the fact that said carrier is provided with pockets in which the articles to be crimped are placed, a clamping means is provided adjacent the crimping station, and means are provided to actuate said clamping means to hold the work articles at the crimping station to engage the sides of the articles and press the articles against the opposite sides of the respective pockets, against the action of the crimper head.

9. A rotary crimper head having, in effect, a circumferentially-long curved surface to engage the end of the article to be crimped at many points around its circumference to turn said end inwardly about ninety degrees, and a crimper portion projecting from said surface to turn said end inwardly to a greater degree.

10. The subject matter of claim 9, characterized by the fact that said crimper head is perforated adjacent said curved surface, to permit the escape of fibers.

11. In a crimping mechanism, a crimper head, a movable carrier having pockets to receive the articles and carry the articles to the crimping station, and clamping means to enter the pockets substantially transversely thereof to engage the articles therein and press the articles against the opposite wall of the respective pocket during the crimping operation.

' BRUNO E. SEEMEL.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,110, 685. r March 8, 19-38.

BRUNO E SEEP EL It is hereby certified that error appears. in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page l second column, lines l8, l9 and 20, claim 8, strike out the words and comma "to engage the sides of the articles and press the articles against the opposite sides of the respective pockets," and insert the same after "station," in line 16, same claim; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction the rein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office V I Signed and s ealed this 12th day of April, A. D. 1958.

Henry Van Arsdale,

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

